Side gage.



No. 778,487. PATENTED Dow-25,1904. s. EDWARDS.

SIDE GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

1Xnventor 5wuae warm l7 k I Btto rneg UNITED STATES Patented October 25, 1904.

PATENT Erica.

SAMUEL EDWARDS, OF NElV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, GEORGE F. JONES, AND \VILLIAM SOHNURR, OF NEN YORK, N. Y.

SIDE GAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,487, dated October 25, 1904.

Application filed July 25, 1904. Serial No. 218,021. (No model.) v

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL EDWARDS, of New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Side Gages; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The sheets of paper, cardboard, wood, tin, or other material to be operated upon by printing-presses, embossing, bronzing, ruling, or folding machines frequently vary at their trimmed edges or their edges are untrimmed. Again, the sheets may have previously been split or notched andsueh notched points employed subsequently as guide edges to engage with the side gages. In feeding such material to presses or machines the rigid side gages heretofore employed are inadequate, as they cause the sheets to tear or buckle, according to the nature of the material, or they pull the sheets away from the cylinder-grippers or other roller gripping devices, resulting in throwing the sheets out of register.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a lifting or swinging side gage which will accommodate itself to the variations or irregularities of the sheets without disturbing the register thereof.

A further object is to provide a side gage having a wide range of axial adjustment whereby the gages and .stops upon a series of machines through which the material may be,

fed may be brought into exactly corresponding relative adjustment.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing portions of a printing or other machine having a feed-table equipped with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same parts, showing a sheet being fed. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4: is a longitudinal sectional View. Fig. 5 shows the gage-plate and weight removed.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the feed-table of a printing-press; 2, portion of the cylinder; 3, the forward stops, and 4: the grippers.

5 designates the side gage. This is shown as mounted on a shank or base 6, formed with a longitudinal slot 7, so that it may be adjustably secured to the table. Near its inner end the base is formed with a circular opening 8, the outer wall of which is split to form clamping-jaws 9, through which is passed an adjusting-screw 10.

12 is a clamping device, shown in the form of a split sleeve, mounted upon a post 13, fitted in opening 8. The sleeve is internally threaded and provided with ears, through which is passed a binding-screw 1 1. An extern ally-threaded sleeve 15 is rotatably mounted in the clamping-sleeve and at its outer end has a milled head 16, by which it may be turned to effect longitudinal adjustment. The bore of the sleeve is smooth.

The gage proper is shown in the form of a block 18, approximately square in side elevation, either of the right-angular sides 19 20 of which may rest upon the feed-table. The gage is designed to turn freely, so as to accommodate itself to any irregularity in the edge of the stock and avoid buckling or tearing. For this purpose I have shown the gage secured on the end of a smooth spindle 21, fitted in the bore of sleeve 15, such spindle carrying at one end a locking-screw 22, passed through the head 16 of the adjusting-sleeve. When this locking screw is tightened, the head 16 and a collar 23 form stops which limit the longitudinal adjustment of the sleeve with in the clamp; but the spindle is always free to rotate when the gage is lifted.

24E designates a guide,shown in the form of a piece of heavy wire bent to overhang the outer face of the gage and capable of being turned within its support according as the side 19 or 20 of the gage is resting upon the feed-table. It is mounted in an opening in the clamp 12, a screw-bolt 23, tapped in the latter, holding the guide in its adjusted position. This guide prevents the stock from riding upwardly.

For certain classes of work the gage is required to ofi er greater resistance to the unevenness of a sheet than may be necessary in feeding ordinary stock. For this purpose its weight may be increased by a plate 26 of substantially the same conformation as the gage proper, such plate having a hooked extremity 27 engaging the spindle between the gage and the collar 23 and formed with a recess 28 to accommodate a stud 29, projecting from the inner face of the gage.

In operation the base is secured to the feedtable at any desired point. As shown in Fig. 2, the necessity for a great number of slots in the table is obviated, since the base may be at any angle to or distance from the sheet being fed. By loosening the screw the clamp may be turned axially to effect the adjustment of the gage until the latter is posi tioned so that its outer face will engage the normal width and edge of the sheet, the gage being placed, as shown, so it will lie with relation to its fulcrum toward the forward stops 3. To effect further longitudinal adjustment without changing the position of the base, the sleeve is rotated within its clamp, after which the screw 14: of the latter is tightened. The supporting means are now held rigidly, the gage proper resting with its lower edge upon the feed-table, but free to lift or swing in the direction of the line of travel of the sheet. Upon a. widened portion of the sheet or rough or uneven edge thereof coming in contact with the lower edge or edges of the gage the latter will ride up and permit the widened or uneven portion to pass beneathit, whereupon the gage will by gravity be returned to its normal position in contact with the feed'table.

From what has been said it will be seen that the invention effects an improvement having a wide scope of application. Besides allowing for the positive and easy feeding and perfect guidance of the sheets whose outline or formation would cause them to curl or buckle or pull from the grippers when contacting with lixed gages, it will be noted that the gages automatically accommodate themselves to the condition of the stock. Furthermore, by reason of the axial adjustment when the sheet is to be passed through a series of machines or. receive a series of impressions, as when printing in various colors, the respective side gages and forward steps can be positioned in exactly the same relation.

I claim as my invention 1.- A side gage for feeding sheets to a printing or other machine comprising a gravitating gage member, and means for supporting said gage member to permit it to swing to accommodate variations in the sheet being fed.

2. A side gage for feeding sheets to a printing or other machine, comprising a gravitating gage-plate, and means for supporting said gage-plate to allow it to swing in the line of direction of the sheet being fed.

3. A side gage for feeding sheets to a printing or other machine, comprising a gage proper, means for pivotally supporting said gage, and means for axially adjustingsaid supporting means.

4. The combination with the feed-table of a printing or other machine. of a side gage designed to be secured to said table having a gage-plate dcsignedto normally rest upon said table, means for pivotally supporting said gage-plate, and means for axially adjusting said supporting means.

5. The combination with the feed-table of a printing or other machine, of a side gage designed to be secured to said table having a gage-plate designed to normally rest upon said table, means for pivotally supporting said gage-plate, means for axially adjusting said supporting means, and means for adjusting said gage-plate with relation to said supporting means.

6. A side gage for printing or other machines, comprising a shank or base, an axiallyadjustable sleeve supported by said shank or base, a spindle mounted to turn freely in said sleeve, and a gage plate secured to said spindle.

7. A side gage for printing or other machines, com prising a shank or base. an axiallyadjustable clamping device supported by said shank or base, a sleeve designed to be accommodated by said clamping device, a spindle designed to be accommodated by said sleeve and to turn freely therein, and a gage member secured to said spindle.

8. As an article of manufacture a gage for printing or other machines comprising a base or shank formed with a longitudinal slot and binding-jaws, an internally-threaded clamping-sleeve having a post or stud held by said jaws, a second sleeve threaded in said clamping-sleeve having a smooth bore, a spindle within said second sleeve and free to turn therein, a gage-plate carried by said spindle, and a guide adjustably supported by said clamping-sleeve.

In testimony whereof I have signed. this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL EDl/VARDS. \Vitnesses:

J. .MULLieAN, WARREN GRIFFIN. 

